Improvement in street-lamps



JAMES H. ROBINSON.

Street-Lamp.

No 126,577, Patented Mag 7,1872.

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UNITED STATES JAMES H. ROBINSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,577, dated May 7, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. ROBINSON, of Washington, in the county of Washington and in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street- Lamps; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

My invention consists in the construction of the spring-catch, placed in the lower part of an ordinary street-lamp of that class provided with a pendulous door.

Figure 1 represents a side View of a streetlamp, showing the door, open in dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the spring-catch. Fig. 3 represents a section of the spring-catch.

The object of this present invention is to provide a catch for a street-lamp that is simple, cheaply constructed, and not liable to get out of repair.

A in the accompanying drawing represents an ordinary street-lamp, which is provided on one side with a door, B, which is hinged at its top X, as shown. In the bottom of the lamp, nearest the door B, is secured the curved flat spring G, made of brass, steel, or other suitable metal. This spring is bent in the form shown in Fig. 3, with about one-third of its length extending outside of the door, a narrow opening being cut in the frame for the spring to pass through. It will be seen that the plate 0 has three distinct curves-the bend a being soldered or otherwise attached to the interior of the lamp, the upward curve I) 1; ing over and within the bottom of the frame, and the downward curve 0 extending under and outside the door B when closed. Upon the downward curve 0 of the spring is placed a semiconical tube, D, whose apex is placed outward from the lamp, and is so secured upon the spring as to leave a small space, d, in its front for the operator to work the spring. The front end of this cone piece forms a slightly-curved shoulder, Z, so that, when the door is thrown to, its lower edge catches against and is held by this shoulder.

To open the door, press down on the end d of the spring until the shoulderZ is under the door. The door will then readily open. To close the door, push it forward upon the inclined plane of the cone D until it passes to the shoulder Z, which holds the door securely in place.

I do not claim a street-lamp provided with a pendulous door; nor do I claim a street-lamp provided with a pendulous door which is held by a spring-catch, for I know that such has been known and used for many years; nor do I claim a street-lamp with a pendulous door, having a pin extending below it which catches into a perforation in a curved spring-plate.

By my invention I obviate the necessity of perforating the plate or of adding a pin to the door. The perforation becomes easily clogged with ice, snow, &c.; and the pin on the door is so easily broken as to render such expensive and comparatively valueless.

What I do claim is- The curved flat spring 0, provided with the conical piece D forming the shoulder Z near the lamp-frame, the spring being secured within the frame and extended outward through a cut in the rim thereof, in combination with the pendulous door B, (of the lamp A,) which rides over the cone and is secured by shoulder grasping the lower edge of the door, as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, 1872.

Witnesses: JAMES H. ROBINSON.

A. N. MARR, EDM. F. BROWN. 

